Flake ice making machine



July 13, 1954 Filed Oct. 26, 1951 E. J. ALBRIGHT FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 y 1954 J. ALBRIGHT FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1951 contamination.

Patented July 13, 1954 FLAKE ICE MAKING MACHINE Edward J. Albright, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Akshun Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation of Illinois Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,394

' Claims.

My invention relates to an improved flake ice making machine'characterized by a simple construction and the ability to effectively form dry crisp flake ice. 7

In one type of flake ice making machine, water is flowed upon one surface, usually the interior, of a vertical cylindrical evaporator. The water thus flowed freezes on the cylinder and is subsequently dislodged in the form of flakes by suitable means, such as knives. The dropping ice flakes form the product of the machine.

In machines of the above type, it is of crucial importance to allow the ice to freeze dry and to dislodge it in the form of flakes without water This demands that the water supply to the cylinder be interrupted in advance of the moving blades and; moreover, that the water or rain which falls from the machine be caught and separated from the falling ice. In

- addition, it is necessary to accomplish this with smiple and inexpensive mechanism which is reliable in operation and can be easily cleaned to assure the production of sanitaryice suitable for food preservation. I

In accordance with the present invention the water is ilowedover the ice forming cylinder from an annular rotating trough which moves in unison with the ice dislodging knives. Fixed water supply pipes empty into the trough to keep the same at a fixed water level. The trough empties onto the freezing cylinder through a series of discharge holes oriented to direct the water onto the top surface of the cylinder. The trough is imperforate in the circumferential region immediately leading and immediately trailing the knives so, that water freezes to dry, sub-cooled, ice before the blades reach it. The rain dripping from the cylinder is caught by an annular gutter which likewise moves with the rotor. This. gutter has a discharge outlet spaced radially of the cylinder. It has a window in the region immediately trailing the knives so that the falling ice drops into a suitable container provided for the V a A further object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved water distributing mocha nism for a flake ice making machine.

' Another object of the present invention'isto provide an improvedrain collecting mechanism for afiake ice making machine.

Additionally, it is an object of this invention to' achieve the above ob'jects'with 'amachine that 2 is inherently simple and inexpensive in construction, highly reliable in operation, and easily cleaned.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forthwith particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in axial cross-section, with parts in elevation, of a flake ice making machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through axis 2-2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through axis 33, Figure 3; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in axial crosssection of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown generally at H] an evaporator drum having inner shell Illa, outer shell lb and top and bottom caps H10 and lfld, respectively, forming a closed annular space. Liquid refrigerant is supplied to evaporator [0 through the pipe l2 and escapes as a vapor through thepipe I4. An annular baflle I I6 is anixed to the outer shell "lb and defines a constructed annular passage [6a through which the vaporous refrigerant escapes at a velocity suihcient to prevent deposit of oil in the evaporator. The refrigerant is at such pressures as to maintain the surface of shell [0a well below the freezing point of water.

A rotor, indicated generally at I8, is mounted within the evaporator I i] and is coaxialtherewith. This rotor includes a shaft 20, supported at its bottom by the thrust bearing 22 and at its topis held concentric with the evaporator by the sleeve bearing 24. This bearing 24"is supported by suitable support brackets (not shown) and bearing 22 is supported by arms'22a'; e

The shaft 25 carries a pair of aligned upper and lower radial arms 25 which at their outer ends receive the vertical angle bar 26a: This bar in turn supports an array of' ice removing knives 28. V

Each knife is of angle bar construction with one side attached by bolts 28a to the bar 25a. The other side of each knife extends radially outward in a horizontal plane'and is sharpened to engage and remove ice on the interior face of. the

3 shell Ina. In the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 these blades engage the ice at their trailing edges.

The knives 28 are aligned vertically so as to define an element of the cylinder formed by the shall a. Consequently, as the rotor i turned the element travels in relation to the shell and thus traverses the entire surface thereof.

The *rotor idisturned by*the= gear2'6a which is driven by suitable'means (not shown).

As shown in Figure 1 the top surface of the shell la is bevelled at lfie. Water is flowed on this bevelled portion by the trough 3D. This trough, as shown, is of annular conformation with an outer sloping side 3fia.forming'to and overlying the beveled portion H3640]? the shell Ilia. This trough is mounted on and carried by the shaft 29 by reason of .thethree spider arms 32, Figures 1 and 2, so that it is infixed relation to the shaft and knives at all times.

The trough 30 has a series of openings 3%, Figures land 2, through which water fiowsonto the-beveled edge We of the shelllfia. This water,

which is fed to the trough by means described hereafter, fills the same to apredetermined level as shown at W,Figure 1. Upon passing through the openings or parts 301), it strikes the upper bevelededge Hie of the shell Mia and spreads as shown bythe-rivulets R, Figure 1, so asto cover uniformly the surface ofthe shell lila.

The trough 39 is perforatedby theholesiiib only inthe C-shaped region extending from point A, Figure 2, through point B, to point C. The imperforate region of the trough 39 extends from point A, Figure 2, to point C, through the region of the knives. This region is the region in advance of the knives where the ice freezes dry and the region trailing-the knives where the ice is falling from the machine.

'Water is supplied to the trough-'30 bytlie three discharge pipes 34 which are-positioned at-their outlet ends above the trough. At their inlet ends these pipes receive water from the tank 36. Consequently, as the trough 30 rotates in unison with the knives 28 as the rotor I-8 turns, the trough is fed with acontinuous supply of water at all positions of rotation. A sufiicient number of pipes 34 is used to provide essentially uniform flow from all the openings 30?).

The tank '36 is maintained at a predetermined level by the float 36!]. which actuates valve 35b to admit water from pipe 38 as required to'maintain" the desired water level in tank 36. level determines the pressure head acting on pipes This water 34, .the flow through these pipes, and hencethe water level in trough 30 and the rate of water flow through the openings 3% of the trough.

Water dripping from the machine, or rain, is collected by the gutter shown at MIL-Figures 1 and .3. As shown, this gutter underlies the inner shell Ma and extends radially outwardly therefrom.

It consists of an inner cylindrical wall 4011, a nearly annular bottom 40b, and an outer cylindrical wall 460. It is carried by the shaft 2!] from the three spider arms 42 which are welded or otherwise attached at their ends to the shaft and to the let or'discharge pipe 44 which is positioned to discharge into the fixed annular gutter as which isconcentric with the rotor.

Water from gutter 4'5 is pumped through-the .pipes m by the pump 50 to the tank 36 where it the true spirit and scope of my invention.

is recirculated to form ice. This avoids the loss of efliciency otherwise attendant upon loss of the cooled water dripping from the machine. It also avoids loss of efficiency by reason of ice flakes that happen to fall into the gutter 30.

The mutilated or window portion of gutter 35] is below and immediately trailing the knives 28 as ishown'in Figure 3. lne'this'regionithezice flakes fall from the machine. They pass through this mutilated portion or window portion of the gutter to fall into the ice container 50, Figure 1. Since the gutter 40 extends under all the regions of the shell Ilia other than the region of ice fall, all the water drippingfrom the machine falls into the "gutter and the ice. in container 50 remains dry and uncontaminated.

..machine isintercepted to. prevent fall into the ice container, while the ice flakes. are permitted to dry freely,

The ice on the interior surface ofthe shell lfia is indicated generally at I. Atany rotor position, the thickness of ice increases gradually from practically zero atregionC where the first holes in the trough are effective tomaximumthickness immediately in advance of the knives.

In the alternativeembodiment of the present invention shown inl 'igure 4, the fixed annular gutter-45 isreplaced by-afull cylindrical gutter [4b located-below the icecontainer 58. The ice container '50 is supported by suitable rails I extending across gutter at 46. The discharge pipe I44 is made of sufficient length to avoid splashing and yet to clear the supports 22a.

While I have shown and described a speciiied flake ice making 'machineit will be understood that many modifications and alternative constructions may be made without departing from therefore, intend by the the I. appended 'Jclaims to cover all structures coming within their true spirit and scope.

What I claim as new and desire to'secure'by letters patent of theUnited States is:

l. A rain collecting-mechanism for a flake ice making machine of the typehaving a vertical freezing cylinder over'which water is discharged and in which ice'removing means dislo'dgesice along a moving element, the mechanism compristhe greater portion of the periphery of the drum and defining a window extending circumferentially in the regions'adjacent the ice removing means to avoidcatching falling icefiakes; the gutter further having an outlet located in radially spaced relation to the region of ice fall; and a fixed water collecting gutter underlying the outlet at all positions of travel.

2. A rain collecting mechanism for a flake ice making machine of the'type having a vertical freezing cylinder over which water is discharged and ice dislodging means which traverses a moving element of the cylinder to dislodge ice therefrom; the mechanism comprising a gutter underlying substantially the entire lower edge of the cylinder to catch rain dripping therefrom and mounted to move in unison with the ice dislodging means, the gutter defining a circumferentially extending window in the regions of ice fall; the

gutter further having a discharge outlet radially spaced from the freezing cylinder.

3. A rain collecting mechanism for a flake ice making machine of the type having a vertical freezing cylinder over which water is discharged and ice dislodging means which traverses a moving element of the cylinder to dislodge ice therefrom; the mechanism comprising: a gutter underlying substantially the entire lower edge of the cylinder to catch rain dropping therefrom and mounted to move in unison with the ice dislodging means, the gutter defining a circumferentially extending window in the regions of ice fall; the gutter further having a discharge outlet radially spaced from the freezing cylinder; and, an ice collecting container located below the lower edge of the cylinder and radially spaced. from said discharge outlet.

4. A flake ice making machine comprising in combination: a vertical freezing cylinder; a rotor; means on the rotor to dislodge ice from the surface of the cylinder along a travelling element as the rotor is turned; a trough mounted on the rotor and forming a complete annulus overlying the top edge of the freezing cylinder, thetrough having a series of openings peripherally spaced from the region immediately leading the ice removing means and oriented to direct water onto the upper edge of the cylinder; and a gutter mounted on the rotor and underlying substan- 3 ti=al1y the entire lower edge of the cylinder to catch rain dripping therefrom, the gutter defining a circumferentially extending window in the regions of ice fall and having a discharge outlet radially spaced from the freezing cylinder.

5. A flake ice making machine comprising in combination: a vertical freezing cylinder; a rotor; means on the rotor to dislodge ice from the surface of the cylinder along a travelling element as the rotor is turned; a trough mounted on the rotor and forming a complete annulus overlying the top edge of the freezing cylinder, the trough havng a series of openings peripherally spaced from the region immediately leading the ice removing means and oriented to direct water onto the upper edge of the cylinder; and a gutter mounted on the rotor and underlying substantially the entire lower edge of the cylinder to catch rain dripping therefrom, the gutter defining a, circumferentially extending window in the regions of ice fall and having a discharge outlet radially spaced from the freezing cylinder; and a fixed water supply pipe adapted to discharge into the trough, and a fixed water collecting gutter in registry with said discharge outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,000 Holden July 27, 1909 1,020,759 Holden Mar. 19, 1912 2,303,664 Short Dec. 1, 1942 2,310,4 68 Short Feb. 9, 1943 2,575,374 Walsh Nov. 20, 1951 

